ReachTEL poll for Ashgove – TPP 53 percent to Labor. Dr Chris Davis defect to Labor. Sorry week. Tony Fitzgerald QC on Newman’s ‘blitzkrieg’. Could the Newman Government really fall to a Palaslide? Newman cuts respite services to disabled children. Bligh Government’s Gold Coast trams go live. Tweet of the week – Good advice on use of the term ‘backflips’. . ReachTEL poll for Ashgove – TPP 53 percent to Labor A ReachTEL poll in Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s seat of Ashgrove has shown he is still on track to lose the electorate. On the back of a devastating 18.6pc swing against the government in the by-election in adjacent seat […]

In 2012, Campbell Newman chose MP for Gympie, David Gibson as his Police Minister. However, two weeks into the job he resigned. Gibson had been caught speeding and driving without a licence on February 16, 2012. A non payment of a fine for a prior speeding infringement in May 2011 had led to his licence being suspended. Over the following four months, five letters were sent to his home reminding him to pay. Gibson claimed he was unaware of his licence being suspended. However, after a late night meeting with Premier Campbell Newman, he announced his resignation the following day and retired to the backbench. Eight months later, Newman handed […]

By Anne Carlin @sacarlin48 10th March 2014 In October 2013 I had the wonderful experience of attending the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) in Bali. I had been once before but this time I got a full ticket and went to as many of the forums, talks, debates, book and poetry readings as I could. At the end of the four days I was an exhausted but relatively happy person. I had listened to so many interesting, clever, thoughtful and funny people from all over the world. I was alive and invigorated and my brain was ticking over incessantly. It was a great feeling, so why do I use the […]

Opinion by Stephanie Gotlib, @CDA39 August 11, 2013 It truly is momentous that most states, as well as the independent and Catholic education systems, have now signed up to the Better Schools funding program with 78 per cent of students to benefit from this new funding deal. Governments should rightfully be applauded for getting this major reform across the line in many jurisdictions, but the whole job is yet to be done. Following the passing of the Australian Education Act 2013, a new funding model will be rolled out in participating states at the beginning of the 2014 school year, with a core amount per student, and additional funding loadings […]

By Noely Neate May 16, 2013 If you missed it, see last night’s awe inspiring rant by Mr Richard Chirgwin about the Coalition not bothering to turn up for the introduction of the DisabilityCare Bill. I had hoped that our media would report this lack of respect this morning, but no. Did you know that Mr Abbott’s reply speech to the budget is more important than a mother taking time off work to care for her sick baby? It is. The Coalition did not grant ALP MP Michelle Rowland ‘a pair’ so she could fly home to care for 14 month old baby: Opposition blocks bid to be with sick baby. […]

Storify by The Geek Wed, May 16 2013 People’s obligation in the first instance is to be in this Parliament. — Warren Entsch: The House of Representatives as PM @juliagillard introduces legislation to cover some of the costs of DisabilityCare twitter.com/mearesy/status… — andrew meares (@mearesy) May 15, 2013 [email protected]_Chirgwin The LNP’s absence in Parliament in the chamber for the NDIS legislation … atrocious. Nutlessness as a service. Wed, May 15 2013 02:42:34 ReplyRetweetFavorite [email protected]_Chirgwin So, Abbott tells the whip “nobody attend”. Whip tells nutless sheep “nobody attend”. What a grovelling bunch of coprophages they are. Wed, May 15 2013 02:44:02 ReplyRetweetFavorite [email protected]_Chirgwin A minimal gesture of respect to the disabled would […]

By Tony ‘The Geek’ Yegles May 4 2013 I was fascinated by the media’s framing of the NDIS debate this week. Within 48 hours it moved from reporting a naked tax grab by the Prime Minister, to a worthy initiative when Mr Abbott put the national interest ahead of his political interest. Update below May 15 2014 November 29 2012 – NDIS Bill is introduced in Parliament with Coalition absent. December 6 2012 – NSW signs on to the NDIS In the lead up to the NDIS Medicare Levy announcement, Joe Hockey and News Limited were the fiercest critics. Falling revenue forecasts mean Gonski and NDIS reforms are unaffordable: Joe Hockey […]

By Kim Berry March 5, 2013 EDITOR’S NOTE: Monday night dummy spit: https://twitter.com/margokingston1/status/308477882257272832 Next morning I see this: With blog royalty after their dinner with @juliagillard – @edenland @woogsworld @babymacbeth and @allconsuming twitter.com/hughriminton/s… — hughriminton (@hughriminton) March 4, 2013 I check out the dinner guests and find that I follow @allconsuming and she follows me so I DM and here’s a piece by her for us. On Monday night I dined with the Prime Minister. This followed last year’s morning tea and then Christmas drinks with her at Kirribilli House, as part of a select group of ‘influential women in digital media’. I totally acknowledge this is a very big deal, […]